Christie told reporters Sunday night that he didn’t lobby for the position and was honored to be considered. Trump on Friday chose Indiana Gov. Mike Pence after a vetting process that also included New Jersey’s Republican governor.

Christie gave his first public comments since Trump’s decision after a private speech Sunday at a hotel near where Republicans are gathering for this week’s convention in Cleveland.

He says he has been friends with Trump for 15 years and this is “just another one of those steps along our friendship and a hard decision for him to make, and he made what he thought was the best decision.”